A Computerized Third Party

This paper outlines a novel approach to conducting negotiations and shows how this approach can apply to the specific problems of arms control. It reviews in fairly general terms the logical goals of arms control talks and the way these goals relate to the specific dimensions normally encountered in a treaty. It deals with the unfortunate complication of secrecy - the desirability of shielding not only one’s capabilities but even some of one’s goals from one’s “opponent”. Such secrecy makes the search for a viable treaty doubly difficult. The paper describes a process that addresses this difficulty. The process centers around a “third party device”, together with some protocols and strategies for using it.